American youths of every economic class were "dance mad," but the brightly lit dance halls that proliferated in metropolitan areas in the early 1900s were especially popular with young, adults of the working classes. For these unmarried men and women, who worked long, hard days and whose wages most often helped support parents and siblings, twenty-five cents or less was well worth the gala evening promised by the dance establishments. Admission to the large halls with their polished floors, lively music, and festive atmospheres meant a respite from the day's labor and the night's boredom. The chance to leave the, confines of the family tenement and to spend the evening: perfecting the latest dance step was also an opportunity to socialize with members of one's own age group — and of the opposite sex.

Ticket prices were always affordable...